Shakshuka: Eggs poached in spiced up tomato sauce

Shakshuka is one those dishes that I always thought was a good idea but never tried. But then one day I made it for brunch with some friends and I realized that I’ve been missing out all this time!

With roots in North Africa and the Middle East, Shakshuka literally means "all mixed up". A robust dish of eggs poached in a spiced up tomato sauce with vegetables that hits all the right spots. The tomato sauce is tangy and fragrant from the dried spices, the eggs are almost creamy and cooked to ooey gooey perfection.

Think of it like a cooler, older cousin who goes to rock concerts compare to the classic Chinese stir fry of tomatoes and eggs comfort dish.

For brunch, lunch...for anytime!

The sauce can be made well in advance and scaled up or down depending on how many people (ie eggs) you are serving. Plus, you get mop up all that saucy goodness with plenty of bread...carb heaven!

It's a really humble dish that is easy to make and impressive to serve.

Adding vegetables

Shakshuka recipes have many variations.

The essentials being the tomatoes and eggs but the rest are entirely up to the cook. Naturally, onions and garlic are included for their aromatic properties. Bell peppers, as I have used, are also favourites in this dish because they lend a sweetness that works so well with the spices.

Some other veggies that could be nice are mushrooms, spinach or even eggplant! Why not? As I always say, use what you like, use what you’ve got!

Assorted warming spices

Shakshuka is spiced up but not spicy.

The spices used are chosen for their fragrance and warmth. While cumin and paprika are the minimum, you can definitely build on those flavours. My version also includes turmeric for its earthiness, chipotle chilli pepper for some smokiness and a fresh chilli for a little mild heat.

Whichever spices you settle on though, just be sure to stir fry it for a minute with the vegetables in oil to maximize and bring out their full potential.

And of course salt and black pepper to season. Plus a bit of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes…which brings me to…

Tomatoes: Canned or fresh?

In an ideal world, where fresh tomatoes are alway ripe and sweet, both canned and fresh tomatoes will work great. However, that is not the case, more often than not, use the canned variety. Bonus points for being cheaper and shelf stable so an awesome Shakshuka sauce is always on hand.

And the one thing that I will have be a stickler about is to use a good quality canned tomato like San Marzano tomatoesfrom Italy. It’s comparably sweeter and less acidic than normal canned tomatoes. The sauce isn’t simmered for long so using the best ingredient to start is key to getting those robust, complex flavours.

The eggs

Obviously, the other superior ingredient in a Shakshuka is high quality, free range eggs. As they are the stars of the show and all that golden yellow runny yolky goodness needs to be front and centre. As well, the richness of the egg yolks plays a very important role in countering the spiced, tangy tomato sauce to elevate this simple dish to the next level.

To properly cook the eggs, make indentations in the bubbling sauce where the eggs will lay. Then crack the eggs into a separate dish before pouring it into the spot one at a time. You’ll want to keep the yolks intact.

Season the eggs with salt and pepper and cover with a lid to simmer. Take it off the heat just as the whites are set and the middle is still very much wobbly because they will carry on cooking in the hot sauce as it sits.

Topping and Accompaniment

Bring the whole bubbling pan to the table and top with parsley or cilantro or black olives or even little chunks of feta or goat cheese. OR all of the above!

But MOST importantly, serve along side a great piece of bread, like a crusty baguette or my tomato olive focaccia. It’s simply divine.

So have I convinced you to give this a go yet? Look in your pantry and you’ll probably find most of the ingredients already there!